When current Mayor James Wilson announced that he would be running for council in the upcoming municipal elections, he said he hoped a long time councillor would step up to announce their candidacy. It didn't take long for that to happen. City councillor Bob Maloney has announced his intention to run for Mayor.
Maloney says he is running because he has the experience of being a three-term city councillor. He believes he will be able to help the city continue on the path that it's currently on. He says that he believes it has been one of the best run cities in the province, and he wants to keep it that way. He endorses the current council in the race.
"We're in terrific shape, the city is poised for growth, we're in a position to move forward. I'm certain that's what we're going to see in the next four years. As a mayor you would like to work towards that, and if I'm fortunate enough to get elected and have the solid team I think we will have, we won't have any problems in that regard. We're moving forward now, and I don't think we'll be able to slow that down," Maloney says.
The experience of working for the city, both as a member of city council and as part of other boards and organizations, is something Maloney says will give him an advantage as a mayor. He says he will be able to provide leadership for the city, and work with everyone to make it a better place.
"I think the most important thing is working with people, whether it's other city councillors or members of the community. You can't be confrontational, you have to listen to other points of view and sometimes they will change your mind."
Maloney admits that the next four years will see some challenges, and he says that he anticipates infrastructure being a big issue for the city.
"I think there are some challenges in the coming years. We've had a number of infrastructure studies underway, we need to look at things and we're going to improve in the city. The dollars are going to be scary, but we have to bite it off one dollar at a time, just like eating an apple, and be consistent in how we approach it," he suggests.
While he intends to initially keep his current position at CTV, Maloney says that being the mayor will be his main priority, and if he cannot handle maintaining both positions he will become a full-time mayor. He notes that as mayor he would no longer read news, though he may continue to handle community interviews.
Yorkton heads to the polls on October 24.
